Are Dems still set to play politics with transportation?
By JR Hoeft | Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 | PolicyIt may have not made too much play in Northern Virginia, where discussion surrounds the Dulles Rail system these days, but the last few weeks have seen transportation come to the forefront again in Hampton Roads after a water main burst in the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel just days before the Independence Day weekend, causing huge delays and headaches.
Hence, today’s news that the House GOP would like to have a legislative investigation into the incident (on top of the one being done by “state transportation officials”) to find out what went wrong.
Given that it was under the VDOT watch that this travesty occurred, it makes sense that Transportation Secretary Pierce Homer should have to answer questions from legislators this August about the incident, and that from this testimony a separate investigation conducted by Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) might be necessary.
That’s just good government.
Of course, Senate Democrats are quick to lay the foundation for a roadblock. The Pilot writes:
“[Sen. Yvonne] Miller [D-Norfolk], the Hampton Roads member of the transportation accountability panel, declined to take a position on whether another inquiry is warranted but warned against taking action that distracts VDOT from its core mission.”
You mean like its “core mission” of allowing a 52-year-old water main to burst?
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About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
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3 Responses to "Are Dems still set to play politics with transportation?"
Is maintaining water distribution infrastructure a core mission of VDOT?
I would imagine that maintaining our transportation infrastructure is one of their core missions.
Just as they are worried about potential cracks and leaks in the tunnels and bridges, I would imagine they would be worried about those items that can adversely affect that transportation infrastructure – like water mains running through tunnels.
What do you think? Should they not be concerned about things that may adversely affect bridges and tunnels?
If you own a house, aren’t you slightly worried about the plumbing? If the main bursts in your house, are you not still held accountable?
I agree that VDOT should be concerned as it impacts their primary mission. However, the root cause is not something that VDOT can address. If you have a utility easement on your property, for example, you may be worried about their aging infrastructure and the impact that will have on your property, but do you have the power to fix that? Or do you only have recourse once something happens to damage your property?
I am all for politicians addressing the root cause of these issues. But wouldn’t the matter be better addressed with the appropriate water utility? Maybe this merits state attention given that the tunnel affects many jurisdictions, but wouldn’t it be preferable to have the localities take a look at this first? Personally, I think it would be more productive if the local jurisdictions investigated the matter with their water utilities and then bring the findings forward to the state if it really requires state action.
DC had a similar incident when a water main broke on River Road. And the issue was properly addressed with WASA as it was their distribution infrastructure that was at fault. So, if the aging infrastructure of your water utility is jeopardizing not only your time but public safety, it seems best addressed at the source and not with other impacted parties like VDOT.
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